Notes: Against Islanders, Wings look to counter Cizikas line

DETROIT -- The New York Islanders are a significantly improved team from the ones the Detroit Red Wings faced last season.
A lot of that is due to head coach Barry Trotz, who won the Stanley Cup with the Washington Capitals last season, and has brought his brand of defense to New York.

"They've done a really good job defensively," Wings coach Jeff Blashill said. "Their goaltenders have both played well, but I think those go hand in hand, good defense and good goaltending. Cizikas' line sets the tone for their team, in my opinion. They get the puck behind, they start most of the games, they get the puck behind, they get on the forecheck hard, they have a hard two-man forecheck with their D down the wall, they hunt it hard and they do a good job delineating between their forecheck and their neutral-zone forecheck, which is much more passive, and they seem to do a good job delineating between the two.
"They play hard in the D-zone, they have good, strong D and they play hard in the D-zone - it's man-on-man but they play hard. I watched the game against Montreal, the first two periods, certainly the first period, they totally dominated in a lot of ways. So we're going to need to compete like crazy."
Last season goaltender Thomas Greiss was 13-8-2 with a 3.82 goals-against average and .892 save percentage. This season Greiss is 21-11-2 with a 2.22 goals-against average and .928 save percentage.
With Buffalo last season, goalie Robin Lehner was 14-26-9 with a 3.01 goals-against average and .908 save percentage. With the Islanders this season, Lehner is 20-11-5 with a 2.19 goals-against average and .927 save percentage.
This season the Wings are 0-1-1 against the Islanders and while much of that is due to the defense and goaltending, a lot of the credit goes to the line of Matt Martin, Casey Cizikas and Cal Clutterbuck.
This season against Detroit, Cizikas has two goals, Martin has a goal and an assist and Clutterbuck has two assists.
"They have been a handful and they are a handful," Blashill said. "I think that's why he starts them a lot of games and they really set the tone for the team. They're an interesting and intriguing line. They're different than most lines in hockey in the sense that I think people call them the fourth line, they're not the fourth line per se, even by the minutes they get.
"But the best way to handle them is to get out of your zone. You have to get out of your zone against them. If you play in your zone, they're going to hunt and hound and check and be around your net and play hard. You got to get out of your zone fast and make them defend."
LARKIN RETURNS, KUFFNER DEBUTS: Blashill confirmed that center Dylan Larkin, Detroit's leading scorer, returns to the lineup after missing five games with a neck strain.
Since Justin Abdelkader will miss the game with a bad bruise, Ryan Kuffner will make his NHL debut just five days since signing with the Wings.

"Hopefully he plays great," Blashill said. "I told him, he's got to do what he thinks is right on the ice, he's got to play and not what I think is right, not what his linemates think is right, but to do what he thinks is right in every situation. The game's too fast to overthink it. Then when he comes back to the bench and in between periods, we'll make corrections as needed."
LASHOFF INSURANCE: With Jonathan Ericsson out with a lower-body injury, the Wings have just six healthy defensemen.
That is why they recalled Brian Lashoff from the AHL's Grand Rapids Griffins.
Blashill said Lashoff will not play against the Islanders.